Investments |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2025 | |
| EBP 002 | |
| EBP, Fully Benefit-Responsive Investment Contract [Line Items] | |
| Investments | Investments The investment options available to participants include nine core investment options (the “Core Investment Options”), of which five are actively managed (although in some cases, an actively managed option may also include a passively managed component) and four are passively managed (also known as index funds). In addition, target date funds (the “Retirement Funds”) based on target retirement dates are also available. The Retirement Funds invest in a mix of the actively managed Core Investment Options (and in some cases, also include an allocation to a Treasury inflation-protected securities strategy not available as a Core Investment Option). The Retirement Fund associated with the year in which a participant turns 65 generally serves as the Plan’s “default investment” to the extent a participant does not have a valid investment election on file. Additional investment options include the SDA and the American Express Company Stock Fund. A participant may currently elect to invest contributions in any combination of investment options in increments of 1% and change investment elections for future contributions on any business day the New York Stock Exchange is open. Participants may allocate up to 10% of their future contributions to the American Express Company Stock Fund, and transfers of balances from other investment options into the American Express Company Stock Fund are only permitted to the extent the participant’s investment in the American Express Company Stock Fund after the transfer does not exceed 10% of the participant’s overall Plan balance. Special rules and restrictions may apply to the SDA. A brief description of the investment options available to participants at December 31, 2025, is set forth below: Core Investment Options RSPIC has created five actively managed Core Investment Options to provide diversified and actively managed options to participants. Four of these actively managed Core Investment Options (The Diversified Bond Fund, The U.S. Large-Cap Equity Fund, The U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity Fund and The International Equity Fund) represent a broad asset class (e.g., Bonds, U.S. Large-Cap Equity, U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity, etc.) using several managers (and in some cases, also including a passively managed component) within each Fund. These actively managed Core Investment Options seek to outperform a broad market index by buying and selling a limited number of investments (stocks, bonds or other investments) using the underlying investment managers’ investment management skills. The actively managed Stable Value Fund invests in diversified pools of U.S. Government and agency fixed income securities together with book value wrap agreements issued by creditworthy insurance companies or banks with the objective to protect a participant’s original investment while offering a competitive rate of interest with minimum risk. The Stable Value Fund holds a portfolio of book value wrap contracts that are fully benefit-responsive and comprised of both an investment and a contractual component. The investment component consists of units of common/collective trusts and a fixed income portfolio employing active management investment strategies, collectively referred to as the Stable Value Fund assets. Under the book value wrap contracts, the book value wrap provider is obligated to provide sufficient funds to cover participant benefit withdrawals and certain types of investment transfers regardless of the market value of the Stable Value Fund assets. While the contracts are designed to protect the Stable Value Fund against interest rate risk, the Stable Value Fund is still exposed to risk if issuers of the Stable Value Fund assets default on payment of interest or principal, but this risk is mitigated because the underlying Stable Value Fund assets in the Stable Value Fund bond portfolio are backed by the U.S. Government. The contracts may not cover participant benefit payments at contract value upon the occurrence of certain events, described below, involving the Stable Value Fund, American Express as its plan sponsor (“Plan Sponsor”) or Ameriprise Trust Company, an affiliate of Ameriprise Financial, Inc., its investment manager. Fully benefit-responsive book value wrap contracts held by a separately managed account created for a defined contribution plan are required to be reported at contract value, rather than fair value, on the Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits. Contract value is the relevant measure for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts because contract value is the amount participants would receive if they were to initiate permitted transactions under the terms of the Plan. Contract value represents contributions made under each contract, plus earnings, less participant withdrawals and administrative expenses. Certain events might limit the ability of the Plan to transact at contract value with the contract issuer and therefore also limit the ability of the Plan to transact at contract value with the participants of the Plan. These events may be different under each contract. Examples of such events include the following: •The Plan’s failure to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code or the failure of the trust to be tax-exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code; •Premature termination of the contracts; •Plan termination or merger; •Changes to the Plan’s administration of competing investment options; and •Bankruptcy of the Plan Sponsor or other Plan Sponsor events (for example, divestitures or spinoffs of a subsidiary) that significantly affect the Plan’s normal operations. Plan Management believes no such events are probable of occurring. In addition, certain events allow the issuer to terminate the contracts with the Plan and settle at an amount different from contract value. Those events may be different under each contract. Examples of such events include the following: •An uncured violation of the Plan’s investment guidelines; •A breach of material obligation under the contract; •A material misrepresentation; and •A material amendment to the agreements without the consent of the issuer. Plan Management believes no such events are probable of occurring. RSPIC has also created four passively-managed (index) Core Investment Options: The Diversified Bond Index Fund, The U.S. Large-Cap Equity Index Fund, The U.S. Small/Mid-Cap Equity Index Fund and The International Equity Index Fund, which currently use a single index fund as the underlying investment in each Fund. Each passively-managed Core Investment Option seeks to mirror the investments and track the performance of a broad market index that includes hundreds or thousands of stocks or bonds. Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts The SDA gives participants the opportunity to invest in a wide variety of mutual funds in addition to the specific investment options mentioned above. Participants may request a prospectus for any of the funds available through the SDA. American Express Company Stock Fund The Plan Document requires that this Fund be offered as an investment option under the Plan, subject to compliance with ERISA. The American Express Company Stock Fund is an ESOP. This Fund invests primarily in American Express Company common shares and holds a small amount of cash or other short-term cash equivalents to meet requests for investment transfers, withdrawals and distributions. Participants have full voting rights for the common shares underlying the units that are allocated to the American Express Company Stock Fund. A full, detailed description of the Plan’s investment options, and associated terms and conditions, is available to all participants.
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